Saturday 22 July dealt up a wild start for the record entry 430 yachts taking part in the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race. The largest offshore racing fleet ever, comprising nearly 3,000 sailors, set off from Cowes in 25-knot wind-against-tide headwinds, which made for a punishing scene in the western Solent.
Conditions described by competitors as ‘boat breaking’ and ‘survival mode’ led to the retirement of around one in four entries over the following 24-hours –